Dreams
by Manqoba
Summary: Alone in the dead of night, Ash finds himself dreaming of an old friend. AdvanceShipping.


AN: This one-shot was written for the Advancers fanfic contest. I hope that you enjoy it.

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The night was vividly silent, coating Pallet Town in darkness. Though it only grew later, Ash laid in bed awake. For someone always traveling to the latest objective, time in between journeys was exceedingly rare. Simply, Ash decided, he wanted to cherish every moment of it.

Though the room was pitch black, his eyes darted around it, as he had every little nuance committed to memory. He was hopelessly tired, but that certainly didn't stop his mind from racing. The end of a journey was always a time of reflection and uncertainty. Though the prospects of the future excited him, the idea of starting from zero once again proved daunting.

With a crash, Ash was knocked out of his trance of thought. The disturbance came courtesy of Pikachu. As he scurried around restlessly, the small rodent accidentally collided into Ash's backpack, causing its contents to pour out. Fortunately, it was nearly empty with the absence of Ash's other partners transferred to Professor Oak. Still, a distinctive object fell next to it, producing a metallic sound as it made contact withe the hardwood floor.

Reaching down from the bed, Ash picked up the object. As he examined it, it glimmered in the faint moonlight, allowing him to instantly discover its identity. Staring at it took his mind on a journey through time and space, arriving at the seaside Kanto town of Terracotta. What he held in his hand was none other than a medal won there years ago, after an intense Pokemon Contest. However, Ash only possessed half of the prize, as it was split with the other victor. The other half sat with one of his closest partners, May.

Since their tie at Terracotta, Ash carried the medal wherever the road took him. The memento served as a constant reminder of the time they spent together. This was far from the first night that Ash spent staring into it, whether in anticipation, anxiety, or memory. Brock once even referred to the medal as his "second half", a concept that made about as much sense to Ash as watering a brick wall.

The night's dark call finally took its toll on Ash, dragging him further and further to sleep. Overcome by a wave of exhaustion, he set the medal aside on the nightstand and quickly drifted into a deep slumber.

Though his body laid motionless, Ash's mind was still at full awareness. Seemingly instantaneously, he was teleported to a familiar land of a past journey He stood at the edge of a rugged, formidable path, leading to the entrance of a sprawling metropolis bathed in a warm light.

As Ash walked along the bustling city sidewalk, he absorbed the sights of towering skyscrapers with twinkling lights. Suddenly, he realized exactly where he was, as if his memory magically blessed him. The telltale radio tower confirmed his suspicions. He found himself in none other than the twin city of Saffron, Johto's prized Goldenrod City.

After his realization, the scenery seemed to complete itself. Storefronts and greenery became more vivid, though Ash paid them no mind. Instead, he found himself being led through the city streets, stopping only at the heart. Before him, Ash found a beautiful marble fountain with subtly blue water contrasting against the city's golden radiance. Though the square was appropriately filled with people, he caught a glimpse of scarlet, completing the scene's trifecta of color.

The scene ceased as quickly and suddenly as it had appeared. Ash jolted awake, only to find himself in his bed, exactly as he should have been. Instantly, he realized that his visit to Goldenrod had been a mere dream, though one with a feeling that he could not quite put his finger on. Still hopelessly exhausted, his thoughts were terminated there as he promptly drifted out of consciousness again.

The next day, Ash awoke with not only newfound energy, but also direction. Though his recent experience was only a dream, it did happen to solve his search for future plans. With vitality in his heart and Pikachu perched on his shoulder, he made the long trek into Saffron City and caught the next magnet train into Goldenrod.

Arriving in the city once again, Ash found himself on a familiar path. The urban center was only a short walk from the station, close enough that Ash could nearly make out the silhouette of the fountain in the distance. As he approached the landmark, he found the same scarlet in front of it, but much more clearly defined. Deciding to take the chance, he cried out into the crowd.

"May!"

Instantly, the girl turned around to face the source of the sound, confirming the suspicion that Ash privately held since last night. Quickly recognizing Ash attempting to dodge through the sea of people, she sprinted to meet him halfway. As they met, the two awkwardly collided before exchanging a deep hug.

Finally pulling away, Ash stared at her in amazement. "May? What in the world are you doing here?" he asked.

May broke eye contact for a second. "You'll never believe it, but I saw you in a dream," she said sheepishly. "What about you?"

Ash couldn't help but laugh to himself. "Actually, I do believe you. But in that case, you would never believe me."

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AN: So, the theme of the contest was reunion. I suppose that I interpreted this rather broadly, but I liked the idea and I ran with it. My apologies if this wasn't quite as good as usual, I had to scramble for the deadline with college work and had no time for a beta reader. Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed it.


End file.
